diff --git a/frontend/e2e/display-density.spec.ts b/frontend/e2e/display-density.spec.ts
index 02efdf3c..6ecb0573 100644
--- a/frontend/e2e/display-density.spec.ts
+++ b/frontend/e2e/display-density.spec.ts
@@ -32,7 +32,10 @@ test('Compact visibly tightens a workflow row, persists across reload, and Comfo
 
   await setDensity(page, 'Compact')
   const compactRow = await firstWorkflowRow(page)
-  await expect.poll(async () => (await compactRow.boundingBox())?.height ?? 0).toBeLessThan(comfortableHeight)
+  // Perceptibility floor: a density mode the eye can't catch fails its
+  // one job -- compact must reclaim at least 6px per row, not merely
+  // measure smaller.
+  await expect.poll(async () => (await compactRow.boundingBox())?.height ?? 0).toBeLessThanOrEqual(comfortableHeight - 6)
 
   await page.reload()
   const afterReloadRow = await firstWorkflowRow(page)
diff --git a/frontend/src/app/index.css b/frontend/src/app/index.css
index 3262a21e..86b9fc84 100644
--- a/frontend/src/app/index.css
+++ b/frontend/src/app/index.css
@@ -49,9 +49,12 @@
    separate Wails window/document with no .app-shell element of its own
    (docs/adr/0033), and this rule must reach both. 4px is Primer's own
    --base-size-4 step, ~67% of ActionList's 6px default row padding --
-   the dominant lever among the in-scope surfaces' current values. */
+   the dominant lever among the in-scope surfaces' current values.
+   2px, not a timid step down: a density mode a user cannot SEE at a
+   glance fails its one job (the 6px->2px cut reads clearly across any
+   multi-row list; the 44px mobile floor below still wins). */
 :root[data-density="compact"] {
-    --mill-density-row-pad-y: var(--base-size-4, 4px);
+    --mill-density-row-pad-y: var(--base-size-2, 2px);
 }
 /* Touch-target floor (docs/goals/0096's DoR: "floor wins over
    density"): at the companion breakpoint, compact's row padding